Teaching Strategy

Teaching Strategy:

    1. Identifying and guiding the long-term career and artistic goals of the student. The goals should be realistically based on:
      1. Individual artistic needs.
      2. Student potential.
      3. Student commitment.
      4. A broad cultural and social context
    1. Developing a plan to achieve the long-term goals. The plan includes:
      1. Acquiring a comprehensive cello technique.
      2. Gaining knowledge of musical styles. The cello teacher should encourage and contribute to the student’s musical development in a broader sense (including history, theory, analysis, performance practice, etc)
      3. Gaining professional experience: performing solo, chamber music, and orchestral repertory, and/or teaching.
      4. Developing work ethics: regular practicing, good work habits, preparedness, and punctuality.
      5. Assisting with the purchase of instrument, bow, and accessories (as needed).
      6. Career advancement tools (recordings, bio, resume, photos, newspaper articles, etc)
      7. Participating in competitions, festivals, masterclasses, and lectures.
      8. Attending concerts.
      9. Becoming familiar with the bibliographical material: cello curriculum, repertory, methods, books, and periodicals.
      10. Physical exercises to support cello playing (stretching, strengthening, conditioning).
      11. Understanding career options.
    1. Developing medium-range goals (6 months – 1 year). The repertory:
      1. Will assist in the development of a complete technique, in a gradual manner.
      2. Will be varied in the analytical approach:
        • Scales, arpeggios, double-stops, technical exercises
        • Studies (etudes)
        • Concert repertory (concerti, sonatas, suites, short pieces)
        • Orchestral repertory
        • Chamber music repertory
      3. Will be stylistically diverse, from Baroque to modern.
  1. Short-term goals (1 week – 1 month), adjusted to the academic year. Through the process of working on a piece, one employs a variety of learning and practicing techniques, which should continuously be reassessed. Early in the cycle (semester), there will a preponderance of certain elements, such as:
    1. Specific techniques: bow arm and left hand
    2. Learning new music
    3. Elements of harmonic/formal/stylistic analysis
    4. Practicing techniques
    5. Memorization techniques

    Later in the cycle, other elements will be emphasized:

    1. Preparing for the performance
    2. Artistic projection
    3. Physical endurance
    4. Sound projection
    5. Memorization
    6. Balance in the ensemble

contact info@marinescu.com for more information